This dissertation investigates the crime of money laundering in the context of cryptoasset acquisition, from a functional-reductive perspective of criminal law. The central objective is to establish precise and coherent criteria for the incidence of criminal norms, aiming to limit the irrationality of punitive power and promote a counter-selective application, without compromising the accountability for complex criminal typologies. The study is pursued through a bibliographic review, analyzing national and international doctrine, legislation, and jurisprudence, complemented by interdisciplinary sources from economics, technology, and sociology. The first chapter establishes the theoretical premises of Zaffaroni's negative/agnostic theory of punishment and the reductive penal system. Criminal law, from this perspective, functions to limit punitive power. The second chapter delves into the crime of money laundering, analyzing its evolution, phases, the affected legal interest (socioeconomic order, with a focus on free competition and initiative), and its typical elements, based on the established theoretical framework. The third chapter comprehends the phenomenon of cryptoassets, detailing the functioning of Bitcoin and blockchain, the universe of decentralized finance (DeFi), forms of acquisition, and the Brazilian regulatory framework. The fourth chapter applies the dogmatic framework to the analysis of money laundering's typicality in different forms of cryptoasset acquisition and discusses the aggravating factor for the use of virtual assets. The research achieves its general objective by demonstrating a path for criminal dogmatics to establish precise criteria and limits for the incidence of money laundering, legitimizing judicial decisions by curbing punitive arbitrariness. Criteria are established to identify typical and atypical cases of money laundering involving cryptoasset acquisition, and requirements are set for the application of the special aggravating factor, conditioning it on the concrete demonstration that the use of cryptoassets intensified the harm to the legal interest. The interdisciplinary approach and consideration of the Brazilian reality are crucial to reject the trivialization of the institute and fulfill the counter-selective function of the penal system, preventing the automatic imputation of this serious crime without a proper technological understanding and knowledge of money laundering's limits
Article „Gehe nicht über Los und ziehe trotzdem 4000 Euro ein“: Vermögensabschöpfung bei Bitcoin als Spiel ohne Regeln? was published on September 1, 2022 in the journal Zeitschrift für die gesamte Strafrechtswissenschaft (volume 134, issue 3).
Introduction: the differences in the scientific interpretations of the concept of "state of proof" are due to the use of different methodological approaches in its study. This category is usually associated with "sufficiency", which, in turn, means that what is at stake meets the needs, the necessary conditions; manifests itself to the necessary extent; is available in the necessary amount. Accordingly, the state of proof in criminal proceedings should reflect the result of cognitive activity based on sufficient evidence, to summarize the process of proving the circumstances and facts relevant to the correct resolution of the criminal case, to answer the question of availability of the optimal amount of evidence to make an informed decision.
Auf dem bisherigen Höchststand des Bitcoins-Kurses Mitte Dezember 2017 kündigte die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt an, sie wolle 126 beschlagnahmte Bitcoins (damaliger Wert: 1,9 Millionen Euro) veräußern. Die in Gießen angesiedelte Außenstelle der hessischen Zentralstelle zur Bekämpfung der Internet- und Computerkriminalität ZIT hatte 2014 mehrere Online-Marktplätze abgeschaltet, auf denen u.a. mit Drogen gehandelt wurde. Bei einer Razzia beschlagnahmte sie die Server der Betreiber und gelangte so in den Besitz von Bitcoins. Im Folgenden wird erläutert, wie eine die Beschlagnahme bzw. Sicherstellung von Bitcoins strafprozessual und polizeirechtlich umgesetzt wird und warum die erhofften Millionengewinne die Ausnahme bleiben werden.
Tina Ehrke-Rabel, Iris Eisenberger, Elisabeth HHdl, Lily Zechner
German Abstract: Distribuierte Systeme, wie die Bitcoin-Blockchain, stellen das Recht vor neue Herausforderungen. Das disruptive Potential liegt unter anderem im Fehlen einer zentralen, verantwortlichen Kontrollinstanz, an die das Recht traditionell anknüpft, und im Verschwimmen der Rollen von „ProduzentInnen“ und „KonsumentInnen“ innerhalb des Systems. Die Erzeugung von Kryptowährungen, wie Bitcoin, mittels „Proof of Work“ und die gleichzeitige Validierung von Transaktionen zwischen NetzwerknutzerInnen (sog „Mining“) ist ein Beispiel dafür, dass die rechtlich etablierten Kategorien heute für eine effiziente Rechtsdurchsetzung unzureichend sind. „Mining“ kann rechtlich zwar als Glücksspiel iSd österreichischen GSpG eingeordnet werden. Konsequenz dieser Einordnung sind allerdings Probleme beim Vollzug des anwendbaren Ordnungs-, Abgaben- und Strafrechts. Regulierung von „Peer-to-Peer“-Systemen erfordert neue Lösungsansätze, um staatliche Steuerungsfunktionen zu erhalten. English Abstract: Distributed ledgers, such as the Bitcoin blockchain, create new challenges for authorities and legislators alike. The technology is considered disruptive due to the lack of a responsible legal entity and because the lines are blurred between the “producers” and “consumers” operating within it. The creation of cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, through “proof of work” and the simultaneous validation of transactions between users of the network (so called “mining”) perfectly illustrate how established legal categories are insufficient to achieve effective law enforcement at present. This paper shows that according to Austrian law, “mining” qualifies as a gamble. In that case, the applicable provisions of Austrian regulatory, tax and criminal law are, however, hardly enforceable. It follows that the regulation of “peer to peer”-systems requires an innovative approach, in order for the state to remain a key player in managing society.